There are many reasons people don't feel like they are better off. These include problems caused by greedy bankers, such as being under water on home loans due to destruction of the housing market and severe loss of personal savings/investments.

They've seen a decrease of 3.7 percent in real personal income over the past decade and few signs of improvement on the horizon. Many are unemployed, not because they lack relevant skills but because there is currently one job available for every 4.3 people seeking employment. Many also have unemployed family or friends who are losing or have lost hope.

But to answer the letter writer's simplified view with another, a little research using government and industry sources indicates that the average high school grad makes $27,380. Subtract average annual expenses of $9,660 for rent, $6,735 for transportation, $6,443 for food, about $1,542 (low) estimate for clothing, personal care and health care. A person with a degree from a modest state university averaged $21,447 for the 2011-12 academic year.

If able to save $3,000 per year, the "average" person could save enough for one year of college in approximately 7.149 years, enough to attend four years of college in roughly 28.6 years and ultimately put those newly gained skills to work at the tender age of 51 or so -- at a staggering economic loss to the country.

A simple reality check should be sufficient to confirm that "personal responsibility," while both desirable and important, cannot replace responsible government policy. Unfortunately, politicians pander to such oversimplifications.